Freight pathing at Stratford

[mrmartin]

Seems that a large proportion of the delays I experience at Stratford are due to freight movements.

Anyone know why this is so common? It seems to especially ruin the LO NLL service (since there is only a small turnaround time at peak times and 2 platforms - causing knock on delays pretty quickly).

Also seems to be a problem with platforms 9 and less often 10. This tends to involve services switching to platform 5 at very short notice.

 

[321446]

Simply put, there is a lot of freight that needs to access the North London Line to head West from Dagenham, Tilbury, London Gateway and even Ipswich. To gain that access, they have to go through 9&10 at Stratford which Fubars it quite nicely if they've been delayed en route but still need to get the hell out of Dodge as soon a possible otherwise the whole GE Mainline gets bunged up at the fundamental portal of Stratford.

 

[grumblingalong]

Which is why the freight link between Felixstowe and Nuneaton needs to be properly finished. Double Soham and string the wires up, you'll have double track all the way then, half of it won't have any reason to go via stratford

 

[306024]

Hopefully things will improve once the Line from Woodgrange Park to Gospel Oak reopens. Some of the freight paths through Stratford require the freight to be on time to the minute, it is all that tight.

Automatic route setting doesn't necessarily help here either when the freight is out of course, but sometimes the signaller is left with no choice but to let the freight run, as all other options can be worse.

Even with a proper cross country route for freight via Ely, there would still be a significant amount of freight through Stratford.

Up trains switching from platform 9 to 5 will have come round the side of Ilford flyover. However there is the possibility they could cross back to the main line country side of Maryland, which is why the platform change seems last minute. Of course there are numerous other trains from Stratford to Liverpool St.

A common move is to switch a down train from platform 10 to platform 9, but as that's an island platform that's less inconvenient.

One move the Red Arrows would be proud of is to run a freight up the down main from Forest Gate Jn and through pfm 10a, and a down train down the up main through Maryland. Normally there is too much other traffic around to make that a success though.

 

[PeterC]

Most north Thamside freight would normally go over the GOBLIN route so the situation will be eased when that reopens.

 

[dk1]

The last few months have been like going back five years or so when much freight used to cross the ladders Manor Park to Forest Gate Jcn causing delays to all GEML/Metro services as they headed to/from the NLL & Tilbury. Been quite nice to see these trains again although although it has affected performance somewhat.

 

[Class 170101]

Which is why the freight link between Felixstowe and Nuneaton needs to be properly finished. Double Soham and string the wires up, you'll have double track all the way then, half of it won't have any reason to go via stratford

Someone seems to have forgotten the short bit of single line around Syston.

 

[edwin_m]

Someone seems to have forgotten the short bit of single line around Syston.

I think returning four tracks between Syston East and Wigston South is still ahead of Soham re-doubling in the queue, along with a flyover at Wigston and extra platforms at Leicester so Felixstowe-Nuneaton and XC trains don't conflict with the Midland main line. No prospect of Felixstowe-Nuneaton electrification though.

 

[GB]

If your not going to properly invest in infrastructure and OLE between the two Felixstowe terminals and Ipswich, your only going to get partial benefits of doing the rest of the route.

 

[Taunton]

I've generally been delayed here on the Overground, don't use the GE line much. The issue seems that the merge of tracks from the Overground platforms into the freight North London lines, all new work, was built too close to Stratford station. It's now hemmed in by Olympic Park developments and the DLR line, but otherwise there seems to be railway land available to extend the Overground lines westwards towards Hackney Wick, almost as far as the Lea river bridge. This would help because departing Overground services regularly seem to get delayed waiting for an eastbound freight to crawl across the junction, as they must do because they are approaching the signal letting them out (or more probably, not) onto the GE line, and they typically only just fit, but take for ever to clear the junction.

All the land around was once railway land, passed over to the DLR and the Olympic Park. I hope they put in the sale documents that they can have two tracks-worth back at the same price if it's needed for railway purposes again.

 

[Class 170101]

I've generally been delayed here on the Overground, don't use the GE line much. The issue seems that the merge of tracks from the Overground platforms into the freight North London lines, all new work, was built too close to Stratford station. It's now hemmed in by Olympic Park developments and the DLR line, but otherwise there seems to be railway land available to extend the Overground lines westwards towards Hackney Wick, almost as far as the Lea river bridge. This would help because departing Overground services regularly seem to get delayed waiting for an eastbound freight to crawl across the junction, as they must do because they are approaching the signal letting them out (or more probably, not) onto the GE line, and they typically only just fit, but take for ever to clear the junction.

All the land around was once railway land, passed over to the DLR and the Olympic Park. I hope they put in the sale documents that they can have two tracks-worth back at the same price if it's needed for railway purposes again.

I think they may be on approach Control. The maximum speed as I recall leaving Stratford and merging with the GEML at Maryland is either 30 or 40mph.

As for getting land back for more railway around Stratford / Hackney Wick sorry but more chance of flying pigs on that one. Land is well sought after over there now with the various office / housing / commercial developments there.

 

[306024]

I've generally been delayed here on the Overground, don't use the GE line much. The issue seems that the merge of tracks from the Overground platforms into the freight North London lines, all new work, was built too close to Stratford station. It's now hemmed in by Olympic Park developments and the DLR line, but otherwise there seems to be railway land available to extend the Overground lines westwards towards Hackney Wick, almost as far as the Lea river bridge. This would help because departing Overground services regularly seem to get delayed waiting for an eastbound freight to crawl across the junction, as they must do because they are approaching the signal letting them out (or more probably, not)onto the GE line, and they typically only just fit, but take for ever to clear the junction.

All the land around was once railway land, passed over to the DLR and the Olympic Park. I hope they put in the sale documents that they can have two tracks-worth back at the same price if it's needed for railway purposes again.

Eastbound freight can run right down through platform 10a nearly towards Maryland, which is plenty long enough to clear Channelsea Jn and allow NLL trains to depart Stratford. The only problem would be if there was another train in the signal section on the down loop between Stratford and Maryland which would only allow the freight to the end of platform 10a.

 

[dk1]

Eastbound freight can run right down through platform 10a nearly towards Maryland, which is plenty long enough to clear Channelsea Jn and allow NLL trains to depart Stratford. The only problem would be if there was another train in the signal section on the down loop between Stratford and Maryland which would only allow the freight to the end of platform 10a.

Extending 10a the short distance through to Maryland was one of the simplest but best things they ever did. Delays reduced enormously once a full length Liner could get in clear both ends.

 

[PeterC]

It's now hemmed in by Olympic Park developments

There was far more political kudos in the OIympics than in goods trains.

 

[najaB]

There was far more political kudos in the OIympics than in goods trains.

Don't forget, there's been a lot of development in the area since the Olympics.

 

[Bald Rick]

I've generally been delayed here on the Overground, don't use the GE line much. The issue seems that the merge of tracks from the Overground platforms into the freight North London lines, all new work, was built too close to Stratford station. It's now hemmed in by Olympic Park developments and the DLR line, but otherwise there seems to be railway land available to extend the Overground lines westwards towards Hackney Wick, almost as far as the Lea river bridge. This would help because departing Overground services regularly seem to get delayed waiting for an eastbound freight to crawl across the junction, as they must do because they are approaching the signal letting them out (or more probably, not) onto the GE line, and they typically only just fit, but take for ever to clear the junction.

All the land around was once railway land, passed over to the DLR and the Olympic Park. I hope they put in the sale documents that they can have two tracks-worth back at the same price if it's needed for railway purposes again.

The 'merge' of the lines from Platforms 1&2 (Overground) into the 'freight North London Lines' is where it has been for as long as I can remember - Channelsea North Junction. The location of the junction was not moved when Platfoms 1&2 were commissioned. Indeed the layout of the junction wasn't changed either; it didn't need to be. It was last renewed in August 2004.